'Halloween Horror Nights' also building maze around Black Sabbath's album '13'

After announcing that AMC’s series would serve as the overall theme of “Halloween Horror Nights” at both Universal’s theme parks in California and Florida, the Hollywood location has expanded its plans, opening up the studio’s backlot to the event for the first time.

Universal Studios Hollywood will build mazes among the faux urban city streets, skyscraper and brick facades used to film movies, TV shows and commercials.

“Since the early 1920s, Universal Studios’ most infamous monsters took their first breath right here on the Universal backlot,” said Larry Kurzweil, president, Universal Studios Hollywood. “This is the very studio that invented the horror film genre traumatized moviegoers with some of the silver screen’s most indelible characters. Years later, it seems only fitting that the studio is making its urban production sets accessible to ‘Halloween Horror Nights’’ guests as we bring nightmares to life with contemporary horror properties.”

“The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven” maze, inspired by the third season of the show, will have guests walk through the backlot’s dark alleyways and put them inside the series’ prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, overrun by decaying walkers.

“Universal’s creative team is painstakingly re-creating the world of ‘The Walking Dead’ for this year’s maze and the level of authenticity will make guests and fans feel like they’ve stepped into Season three,” said Greg Nicotero, executive producer, director and special effects makeup supervisor for “The Walking Dead.”

The second maze set for the backlot is “Black Sabbath: 13 3D,” based on the rock band’s recently released album, “13.” Maze will be located within the dark confines of a soundstage, recreating nightmarish landscapes like graveyards, insane asylums and battlefields, finally putting them face to face with Lucifer and his bride, blood-soaked dead bodies and bubbling pools of radioactive water.

Event runs Sept. 20 through Nov. 2 and has long been a major revenue stream for Universal’s theme park biz, significantly boosting ticket sales during the off season months.

Both parks are also developing “Halloween Horror Nights” attractions based on the recent remake of “The Evil Dead.” A maze for “The Cabin in the Woods” and “Insidious 2″ will also appear at Universal Studios Hollywood.